1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a new process for preparing nonionic surfactant compounds, to new nonionic surfactant compounds, to compositions containing them as well as to the use of these compositions in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical products industry.
The new process consists, in a first step, in condensing a compound containing a terminal carboxy-group with 1,2-isopropylidene-3-epoxypropylglycerol of formula (II): ##STR5## and then, in a second step, in hydrolyzing the products obtained, to prepare polyhydroxylated nonionic products.
2. Description of the Art
Polyhydroxylated nonionic surfactant compounds are known. In particular, French Patent No. 1,484,723 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,902 describe surfactant compounds of formula: ##STR6##
These products of formula (F.sub.1) are obtained by the reaction of allyl glycidyl ether with a saturated or unsaturated fatty alcohol, followed by hydroxylation of the double bonds with "130 volumes" hydrogen peroxide in the presence of 98% strength formic acid for 24 to 48 hours at 40.degree. C. The use of hydrogen peroxide and concentrated acid is always hazardous, both from the point of view of safety and from the point of view of the formation of the products, the hazards being due to peroxidation or derived from the epoxidation side reaction. Furthermore, during this 2nd step, in the case where unsaturated fatty alcohols such as oleyl alcohol, for example, are used, the double bond is hydroxylated, leading to the formation of two hydroxyl groups in the middle of the fatty chain; it is hence not possible to obtain compounds of formula (F.sub.1) in which R denotes an unsaturated aliphatic radical.
The process of the present invention does not have these drawbacks.